The Russellville High School girls’ volleyball team will host its second annual “Dig Pink” event Oct. 16 during a regular scheduled home game against Fort Smith South Side High School. The purpose of the event is to raise breast cancer awareness and to raise funds for breast cancer research.

This Cyclones Dig Pink event is coordinated with hundreds of other events across the nation through the Side-Out Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to raise funding for breast cancer research through high school and collegiate girls’ volleyball events. The current statistics are that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point during their lives. Early detection is the key to survival. October is the national breast cancer awareness month.

Students, faculty, parents as well as the general public who wear pink to the Cyclones Dig Pink event Oct. 16 will gain admission for $1. The Lady Cyclones will wear a special pink jersey for this evening. The RHS cheerleaders and dance team will also participate and perform. Pink hair extensions will be sold to interested persons and proceeds will also benefit the Side-Out Foundation.

In addition to donations, the fundraising component of the event this year will be the sale of pink and black “Cyclones Dig Pink” T-shirts for $10 each. As the foremost provider of comprehensive breast cancer diagnostic screening and treatment in the River Valley, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center has generously agreed to sponsor the fundraiser T-shirts allowing 100 percent of the sales to go to the Side-Out Foundation. The T-shirts will be for sale during both lunch periods at RHS during the week of Oct. 9-16. For T-shirt information, call Cheryl Smith at 747-4958.

The goal is to have a large turnout from both the student body and community. Please come support the Lady Cyclone volleyball team and help make this Dig Pink event a success.

There are three matches scheduled for the evening: A 10th-grade match at 4:30 p.m. followed by a junior varsity game with the main event varsity game starting at about 6 p.m.